Process of and appaeatus foe tanning



(No Model.)

0. B. WARRAND; PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR TANNING.

Swvewl'oz U I wwm we NAnoNAL uwoannmme COMPANY.

UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE.

CONSTANTINE BELVESELSKY WARRAND, OF SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR OFTHREE-FOURTHS TO GEO. W. LAMAR,"W. G. MORRELL, AND A. MINIS.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR TANNING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 517,083, dated March27, 1894.

Application filed November 20, 1893- Serial No. 491,430. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OONSTANTINE BELVE- sELsKY WARRAND, a subject of theQueen of Great Britain, residing at Savannah, in the county of Chathamand State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Processes of and Apparatus for Tan ning; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

. My invention pertains to the art of tanning, and consists in animproved process for tanning hides and means for carrying out thisprocess, as will be hereinafter more fully described in 'theaccompanying specification, illustrated in the drawings, and pointed outin the claims.

Its object is to accelerate the tanning operation, or, in other words,to hasten the chemical combination of the gelatine of the hide with thetannic acid, by which the former is converted into leather. In order tosuccessfully accomplish this, certain conditions are necessary. First,the hides must be kept in a slight and continuous state of agitationwithin the tan liquor while the latter is caused to steadily circulatearound them. Second, the hides must be subjected meantime to an evensteady pressure, which will aid in forcing the tan liquor into andthrough the capillary tubes or pores without rupturing or injuring thegrain or fiber. Third, in maintaining a suitable and proper temperatureof the tan liquor throughout the operation. To attain these combinedconditions, Ihave devised the following apparatus, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and which I will proceed to describe.

A represents a large wooden vat, similar to those employed in breweries,and so constructed as to withstand a pressure of from twenty totwenty-five pounds to the square inch. This vat may be coated on itsinner surface with brewers pitch or any other substance impervious toair and water, that will not be affected by tannic acid or the requireddegree of temperature. A port or manhole is provided in its upper endfor the purpose of introducing the hides as they leave the beamhouse,properly limed, haired, fleshed, and plumped in the usual manner. Fromthe top or cover of the cask depend a number of cop- .per hooks fromwhich the hides are suspended close to each other within the cask,butout of contact, so that'space will be afforded for the free circulationof the tan liquor around them. Above the cask A is a series of platformsarranged at varying altitudes, one above the other, and I have foundsixteen feet, twentyfour feet, thirty-two feet and forty feetrespectively to be convenient for my purpose. Upon each of theseplatforms are supported two narrow upright tanks, B and C,open at thetop designed to hold from seventy-five to one hundred gallons each oftan liquor. A pipe, D, communicates with the bottom of vat A, andextends upward to the highest platform, and connects with each of thetanks B, B B B by branch pipes D, leading from pipe D to the bottom ofeach of the tanks B, B, B B A similar pipe, E, extends upward from thetop of vat A and connects with each of the tanks 0,0 0 and C by a likebranch pipe E. The branch pipes D are provided with stop-cocks T and Eare provided with similar stop cocks or valves T, whereby communicationmay be cut ofi at will between the main pipes D, E, and any of tanks B,B B B 0, O O and 0 Communication between the tanks B, B B B 0, O O and 0on each platform is provided through the medium of pumps P, and pipeswhereby the contents of tank 0 may be pumped into tank B on the sameplatform. By means of this arrangement a complete circuit is providedthrough the medium of the pipes D, E, and their branches, the tanks B, BB B 0, C Oi'and C the pump P, and the vat A for-the flow or circulationof the tan liquor.

For the purpose of raising the tan liquor to the required degree oftemperature, which may be from 80 to 100 Fahrenheit, Iprovide a steamcoil in tanks B, 13 ,3 B connecting with steam supply pipe F, as shown.

In operating my process the hides, properly prepared, are suspended fromthe copper hooks within the vat. or cask A, asnear together as theeconomy of the space willpermit, but out of contact. The port isithentightly closed and sealed in the usual manner.

The tanks B, B B and B at the respective elevations, are then eachfilled with tan liquor of varying degrees of strength, the first, B,being most diluted, and each succeeding tank above being charged orfilled with a liquor containing a greater quantity of tannin than theone beneath and hence of greater strength,

i the approximate scale of strength being about as follows, as indicatedby barkometer: in tanks B, 6 to 12. In tanks B 12 to 18. In tanks 13 18to 24. In tanks 13, to All of the tanks being cut off from communicationwith the vat A by means of the respective stopcocks T and T in thebranch pipes D and E. The discharge cock of the lower tank B is thenopened and the liquor therein permitted to flow into the vat A, and

a liquor of thesame strength is introduced into tank B, and permitted toflow until both tank 13 and vat A arefilled, when the supply port it istightly closed. The cock at the bottom of t the tank (3 is then openedand the downward pressure of the liquid through the pipe D causes theliquor in vat A to rise through the ,pipetE, into tank C, as that intank B is exhau sted, until a level is reached in both tanks t motionwithin the Vat, causing the entire body therein to revolve, and thisrevolving motion of the tan liquor through and around the hides towardthe eduction pipe E causes i a continuousslight agitation of the hidesduring the. circulationof the tan liquor caused by the pumpthrough tanks0, B and vatA; and the hydrostatic pressure within vat A caused by-theperpendicular columns within pipes D and E forces the tan liquor intoand l a through the pores and capillary tubes of the hides more rapidlythan by the ordinary methods. After this process has continued for asufficient length of time to enable the hides to absorb the tannincontained in the diluted tan liquor first introduced as is usual in thecase of green hides, it becomes necessary to subject them to a strongertan liquor and greater degree of hydrostatic pressure. The tanks B,C,atthe lowest elevationare then shut off by means of their stop-cocks, andthose at the next higher elevation, 13*, 0 are connected and thesameoperation is re- .peated, and continued with each series of tanks, Bl, 0,13 0 &c., in succession until the desired result is obtained, thestrength of the tan liquor being increased, as well as the hydrostaticpressure within vat A, at each increased elevation. By this method acalf skin can ordinarily be tanned in twenty-four hours, and theheaviest steer hide in from ten to twelve days.

WVhileI have described but a single tan vat or receptacle for hides, itis obvious that several may be used in battery, by connecting the firstwith the pipe D communicating with tank B, and the last with pipe E,communicating with tank 0.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

I 1. An improved process of tanning, consisting of subjecting theprepared hides in a slight stateof agitation in unison with the motionof the entire body'of tan liquor within which they are immersed,automatically produced in a stationary tan vat bya deflected influentcurrent, to a continuous, uniform, perfectly circulating current of tanliquor under a uniform hydrostatic pressure from allsides,substantiallyas and for the purpose described.

2. An improvedprocess of'tanning, consisting of subjecting the preparedhides ina state of uniform and gentle agitation, produced within and bya surrounding bath of tan liquor within a stationary air and fluid tightreceptacle, to a continuously and perfectly circulating current of saidliquor heated to a required temperature under a uniform hydrostaticpressureexerted equally from-all directions. r n i l I 3. An improvedprocess of tanning, consist in g of subjecting the prepared hides, in astate of agitation, to a continuously circulating current of tan liquorunder a steady and uniform hydrostatic pressure during stated intervals, and from time to time regularly increasing the strength ofthetan liquor and the degree of hydrostatic pressure as the operationproceeds, without retarding or interrupting the process, substantiallyasdescribed. 1 I

4. In an apparatus for tanning hides, one or more tightly closed vatsadapted to receive the prepared hides in a suspended position and thetan liquor, an induction pipe communicating with the vat near its bottomhaving its mouth turned upward and outward to impart a rotary motion tothe volume of tan liquor and with a tank on an elevated platform; aneduction pipe extending from the vat at or near its top andcommunicating with a like tank on the same elevated platform, and a pumpconnected by pipes with the tanks on the elevated platform, whereby acontinuous circulation of the tan liquor through the pipes,- tanks andvats may be produced, all combined and arranged substantially as and forthe purpose described. I i I I 5. In an apparatus for tanning, an airand fluid tight tan vat, adapted to receive the prepared hides in asuspended position, out of contact witheach other, and the tan liquor,in combination with a series of tanks arranged in pairs on platforms ofvarying altitudes above the tan vats and connected with the latter by aninduction and an eduction pipe, stop-cocks connecting the tanks with theinduction and eduction pipes,whereby any pair may be cut off fromcommunication with the tan vats, and a pump connecting each pair oftanks whereby they maybe placed in circuit with the tan vats by means ofthe eduction and induction pipes, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

6. In a tanning apparatus, an air and fluid tight tan vat, a series" oftanks arranged in pairs on platforms at varying altitudes above the tanvat, one of each pair communicating with the tan vat near its bottom byan induction pipe, so turned at its end as to give the inflowing liquoran upward and rotary mo;

tion, and the other byan eduction pipe connecting with the vat near itstop, a pump and pipes connecting each pair of tanks, stopcocks betweenthe tanks and the induction and eduction pipes, whereby communicationbetween any pair of tanks and the tan vats may be cut off at will, and asteam coil within each of said tanks B, B B B connected bined as and forthe purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CONSTANTINE BELVESELSKY WARRAND. Witnesses:

HARRY COOPER, ABRAM MINIs.

- with a steam supply, all arranged and com- 25

